LED changing problems

[chunkhead]

Ok,
I've just started to try changing LED's! But my problem lies in the removal. If i'm not breaking the glass bit off (65% of time), i'm ripping the contact plates off! I'm using the method as described at www.bluled.co.uk (using the drawing pin), but even with slight pressure i'm making a balls of it! Could someone give me some idea, maybe in good detail of how to remove them! And IF i rip off a contact, how do i repair it!

Thanks in advance!:(

[slikmik]

:D i remember i was like this the first time i changed my LED's :)

I found the best way - yet kind of unprofessional - was to melt the led off, just hold the soldering iron on the smt led for a while and it'll either slowly come off or the glass will melt away and then scraping the led will bring it off :)

And about the broken contacts don't worry too much mate, just get a TINY bit of tine foil and go from one contact of one led to the dodgy led contact and all is sorted :)

Mike

[welshwizard]

if the glass bits come off when your removing the LEDs, WHO CARES!? - when i do it i only have about 2 or 3 led's with the glass bits on!

but the led contacts are a bit more tricky, only messed up one, but i never fixed it :(

when your putting the leds in, if the glass bit comes of then.... well, your prolly gonna have to get some new LEDs.

[WildSwan]

I use two soldering iron. Heating both terminal at once with a gentle pull. I manage to save all the LED I come across of.

Hot air is also nice if you get the hang of it.

Once the copper on the PCB goes off, it will be very hard to fix. My suggestion is to practice first on a big PCB to solder and desolder until you master it before working on a real phone.

:)

[wfc]

i little method i used before i got smd equipment was to use a small sewing pin to lever the led up while i heated one side of the led the i would just use tweezers to pull the led off while i heated the side still in contact with the board.:)

[Seany_Ireland]

the LED changing is very hard as i've found out :( anyone got any good instructions / tips for someone who's tried a few times and failed miserably??
I have a 15 watt soldering iron with a small head, is there anything else I should be using instead??

Any help appreciated.

Seany

[WildSwan]

Just get yourself another 15Watt soldering iron. If you heat both terminal at the same time, you will avoid peeled copper in the board. The old procedure of wfc is notorious in peeling the copper in the board.

And mind you, the original solder is hard to melt.



Originally posted by Seany_Ireland
the LED changing is very hard as i've found out :( anyone got any good instructions / tips for someone who's tried a few times and failed miserably??
I have a 15 watt soldering iron with a small head, is there anything else I should be using instead??

Any help appreciated.

Seany

[Adven]

This is an Easy way !!!

I've attatched a picture which should make sense of this....

Get from a car accessory shop or an electrical shop a 'crimp on' fork shaped connector (the thing with the red sleeve in the pic).
They usually come in packs of 10 or so, so you'll have a few to experiment with !!!!

Remove the plastic sleeve so you are just left with the metal part, now open out the round end of the connector (the bit the wire should go in) enough so it will slide onto the tip of your soldering iron.....slide it on and crimp it so it is a good fit and holds firm (do this with the soldering iron off!!)

You now have a fork shaped soldering iron which will fit around both sides of an LED and heat both pads at the same time !!!
You may have to squeeze the forks together to get it to fit the LED.:)

[y9001]

very cooool method! next time i'll use this method, it seems very useful!
thanx guy!

[wfc]

thats a really good idea, great thinking :)

[chunkhead]

I like, I like, I like! Great thinking Adven! Will give it a whirl! Thanks to you all for your suggestions! Will post back here with results soon!:grin:

[cypher1024]

Is there anywhere I can get cheaper led's?

[chunkhead]

Adven you're a genius! I can't recommend your idea high enough! The idea is most useful with the smaller 0603 led's! What i've found is that you heat boths sides and pull away the iron slowly and the led is sticking to the iron! To replace, just place new one with a tweezers in the correct spot, hold it down with a small flat bladed screwdriver, and then just touch either side with the modified iron again! I've removed and replaced my test board (3210) 6 times now, with no damage to contact pads or led's! I have also successfully replaced my 3350 led's with blue ones using the fork method and using a pin to pry the led out slowly!

Thanks Again!

:D :D :D :D :D :D

[WildSwan]

What about 3310 and 62xx???


Originally posted by chunkhead
Adven you're a genius! I can't recommend your idea high enough! The idea is most useful with the smaller 0603 led's! What i've found is that you heat boths sides and pull away the iron slowly and the led is sticking to the iron! To replace, just place new one with a tweezers in the correct spot, hold it down with a small flat bladed screwdriver, and then just touch either side with the modified iron again! I've removed and replaced my test board (3210) 6 times now, with no damage to contact pads or led's! I have also successfully replaced my 3350 led's with blue ones using the fork method and using a pin to pry the led out slowly!

Thanks Again!

:D :D :D :D :D :D

[chunkhead]

The 3350 and the 3310 have vitually the same boards! Is all very simple with this new technique! I would assume the 6210 would be just as simple!

Cheers again Adven!

[Adven]

To Chunkhead


Thanks for your kind words, I'm glad it worked for you !

This what it's all about, sharing knowledge and helping each other :D

[xrtwo2]

turn on the phone e.g.8210 then use a multimeter to determine which way the led should go for all leds then use object such as a razor blade to push the old led off the board while heating the old led with a 12 or 15 watt soldering iron till it is removed,but be careful or u will remove the metal contact from the board,make sure it is heated properly then place led correctly on the board by touching led with multimeter till it lights on the board then hold in place with blade and solder led to contacts and board,works for me on several 8210s

[Furgo]

what i find best when i do LED changes is flux, nowadays i would be lost with out it, first 2 phones i tried it on ( without flux ) i messed up quite badly, be it i daint heat the solder up enough or long enough i cant remember, but i know i took a lot of pads off, i then foun some flux at school took it home with me, and bam everyone came off like a dream.

speck of flux on each pad, heat the one side of the pad slide a pin under the heated side of the LED and gently lift one side up, just enough so it aint makin contact to the board, then gently heat the other side and wipe away the led, touch the soldering iron over each pad to flatten solder, then attacth new led place a tiny dot of solder on the iron ( if 3210 51xx 52xx 61xx 65xx 71xx 72xx ;) 82xx 83xx 88xx an so on, an all phones that use 0603 ) u only need a speck cus there should be enough solder left ont he pads to re attatch the new led's to. the 33xx 5510 62xx 63xx series need a bit more solder to make contact to the board.

i have done many many phones, SIEMENS NOKIA MOTOROLLA PHILIPS and aint never taken a padoff since i been using flux.

i personally find the 33xx 62xx 63xx series phones easier to do although there is more risk.

My Setup

Soldering Iron - Antex 12w with 0.12mm tip
Solder = 0.7mm {Radio Spares (shack) number 229-4207).}
Flux
Sharp Pin / Needle
Drawing Pin
Patience


www.bluled.co.uk
www.jbphonetech.info
www.te-elektronik.com
www.chipled.de
www.blue-backlight.de

these are personally what i think are the best LED Information Related sites out there